I'll keep this brief, as I'm still recovering. This movie has terrible acting, little to no plot, special effects that do absolutely nothing to disguse the two points mentioned above, the world's worse one-liners, and is nothing more than a coloful picture on a Burger King cup.

I'm a big fan of Hoffman's and in my haste to read everything she's written, I picked up "White Horses." Unlike her other books, I was not immediately captivated by this; it took me awhile to get into. The characters in this are interesting, but also confounding. It is almost as if they exist in a void, and the rest of the world floats on by. They don't seem to have any real motivation for anything that they do, so it's hard to work up sympathy for them. This book was certainly interesting, and an enjoyable read, but it's not Hoffman's best.

Like most of those who reviewed this book, I, too, was shocked by the ending of this book. I knew something was coming, and I tried to predict it, but I was way off the mark, and left stunned by the end. However, unlike most others (it seems), I loved this plot twist. It was believable and heart-wrenching. This is undoubtedly due to the way Shreve writes her characters, as multi-faceted and fallible. I found the love affair of Thomas and Linda to be too painful to turn away from, a fact made all the more powerful by the ending.

Any movie with Meatloaf, Randy Travis and Patrick Swayze in it is definately worth watching, at least for the laughs. In that respect, BLACK DOG certainly doesn't disappoint. The acting in this movie is terrible, especially Swayze's neverending wooden facial expressions. The plot is equally bad, and is never very engaging. However, the one thing that saves this B-movie from being so bad it's unwatchable are the scences with Meatloaf quoting Bible verses while trying to kill Patrick Swayze and the hilarious bits about the black dog. So, don't expect a quality piece of cinema, but if you're bored and need a laugh, it's worthwhile.

Like many others, I started with "Here on Earth," and I loved it. I went on to read many more of Hoffman's books, and I have enjoyed all of them. "Turtle Moon" is no exception. The characters are woven together nicely, the only problem being that some of the characters are beautifully-developed while others are hardly developed at all. This leaves the novel feeling rather inconsistent, although it is always enjoyable.

After seeing Stoppard's "The Real Thing" in London, I was blown away. I purchased this collection to have "The Real Thing," and was blown away but all 5 of Stoppard's masterpieces. He writes convincingly of love, redemption and what it means to exist and to live. I cannot recommend this collection (or anything by Stoppard) enough.

I took a Nietzsche class as a freshman in college, and I was clueless as to how this 19th century German philosopher would fundamentally shake my world view. Nietzsche asks us, time and time again, to rethink the assumptions about the world we take for granted, to never settle, to create for ourselves. My life is less content, less secure, but so much better, for having read Nietzsche.

This book is for anyone who's ever loved fercoiously and and has been consumed by that love. Hoffman's novel is gripping and at times painful. Her writing weaves together notions of fate, love, redemtion, and loyalty. Is it beautiful and disturbing.

Amazingly enough, Barry has managed to capture the essence of many modern-day romantic interactions while at the same time telling an amusing and captivating story. His prose style is succinct and sharp, and always entertaining. Highly recommended for a quick, few-hour read!

Being a Quinn fan, it should come as no surprise that I snapped up this book immediately. It should also come as no surprise that I loved it. Quinn's description of the world on fire brought tears to my eyes...he had had the experience I suspected I too could have. His journey is his own, and I will have my own, my reading about his journey once again reminds me of the joy of being alive, of discovering who you really are.